
DataFramed
326 episodes — Page 6 of 7

#140 How this Accenture CDO is Navigating the AI Revolution
In the realm of Applied Intelligence, Accenture leads the way in harnessing the power of data and AI to transform industries. From consumer products to life sciences, retail, and aerospace, Accenture's influence is far-reaching. But what drives the organization? How does it navigate the complex landscape of data modernization and transformation? And more importantly, how does it leverage technology not just as an enabler, but as a catalyst for innovation? Tracy Ring leads Accenture’s Applied Intelligence Products Category Group, in this role she has leadership across Consumer and Industrial Products, Automotive, Life Sciences, Retail and Aerospace and Defense. As the CDO and Global Generative AI lead for Life Sciences, she personally anchors the NA Applied Intelligence Life Sciences practice of more than 500 practitioners. Tracy has created solutions for Generative AI, Data led transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Data and Cloud Modernization, Analytics, and the organization and operating model strategies for next-generation adoption and AI fluency. In the episode, Tracy initially clarifies the difference between data modernization and data transformation, highlighting their distinct meanings and why the terms aren’t interchangeable. Tracy also emphasizes the importance of involving business end-users from the outset of data projects as well as advocating for a product-oriented approach to data.The discussion also covers the topic of team diversity and inclusivity. Tracy shares practical advice on how to build diverse teams and create an environment that encourages curiosity and open dialogue. Tracy also shares her perspective on the future of work and the importance of fostering meaningful conversations in the workplace. She advocates for an attitude of infinite curiosity within teams.In the context of life sciences, Tracy highlights the high stakes involved and underscores the need for responsible AI, data sharing, and data privacy. She also points out that the challenges in this field are more similar than dissimilar to those in other industries.Tune in for a wealth of insights from a seasoned leader in the field of Applied Intelligence.

#139 How Data Scientists Can Thrive in the FMCG Industry
A lot of the times when we walk into a supermarket, we don't necessarily think about the impact data science had in getting these products on shelves. However, as you’ll learn in today's episode, it's safe to say there's a myriad of applications for data science in the FMCG industry. Whether be that supply chain use-cases that leverage time-series forecasting techniques, to computer vision use-cases for on-shelf optimization—the use-cases are endless here. So how can data scientists and data leaders maximize value in this space?Enter Anastasia Zygmantovich. Anastasia is a Global Data Science Director at Reckitt, which is most known for products like Airwick, Lysol, Detol, and Durex. Throughout the episode, we discuss how data science can be used in the FMCG industry, how data leaders can hire impactful data teams in this space, why FMCG is a great place to work in for data scientists, some awesome use-cases she's worked on, how data scientists can best maximize their value in this space, what generative AI means for organizations, and a lot more.

#138 Data Science & AI in the Gaming Industry
When we think about video games like Call of Duty, Fifa, or Fortnite, our minds often turn to creative artists, software developers, designers, and producers. These are the people who make our favorite games a reality. But behind the scenes, data & AI actively shape our experience with our favorite video games. From the quality of video games, the accessibility of maps and worlds, even the go to market, data & AI play an impactul role in making or breaking the success of a video game.Marie de Léséleuc is an accomplished game industry professional with over a decade of experience. Marie started her career as a data analyst, and has since risen through the ranks to a data leader in the gaming industry. She's worked at companies such as Ubisoft, Warner Brothers, and most recently at Eidos, the company most well known for games such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Tomb Raider.Throughout the episode, we discuss how data science can be used in gaming, the unique challenges data teams face in gaming from really low data volumes to massive changes to production schedules and game vision. We also spoke about the difference between "AI" as we know it in data science, and AI in gaming, which informs how NPCs behave in a video game world—and a lot more.

#137 Navigating Parenthood with Data
Imagine making parenting choices not just based on instinct and through the lived experiences of others, but instead using data-driven techniques garnered through a career in data and economics. Emily Fair Oster is a Professor of Economics and International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Her work is unique, blending economics, health, and research in new ways. In her books "Expecting Better," "The Family Firm," and "Cribsheet," she's shown how data can help guide us through pregnancy and parenting.In the episode, Emily shows how she used her knowledge of data and economics when she was pregnant, and how this way of thinking can change how we make decisions.We look at the tension between what we feel and what the data tells us when we're making parenting choices, and why many of us lean on personal experiences. Emily tells us why it's important to use quality data when making decisions and how to make sense of all the information out there.Emily talks about the ins and outs of using data to make parenting decisions, discussing the big milestones in a child's life, the role of sleep, and how these can impact a person's future as well as the nuance in applying data-driven decision-making to your parenting. Emily also touches on how having two working parents and traditional gender roles can shape how we parent.Finally, Emily gives some helpful tips on finding and understanding good-quality data. This will help you make better decisions as a parent. Tune in for a thought-provoking look at parenting, data, and economics.

[DataFramed AI Series #4] Building AI Products with ChatGPT
Although many have been cognizant of AI’s value in recent months, the further back we look, the more exclusive this group of people becomes. In our latest AI-series episodes of DataFramed, we gain insight from an expert who has been part of the industry for 40 years.Joaquin Marques, Founder and Principal Data Scientist at Kanayma LLC has been working in AI since 1983. With experience at major tech companies like IBM, Verizon, and Oracle, Joaquin's knowledge of AI is vast. Today, he leads an AI consultancy, Kanayma, where he creates innovative AI products.Throughout the episode, Joaquin shares his insights on AI's development over the years, its current state, and future possibilities. Joaquin also shares the exciting projects they've worked on at Kanayma as well as what to consider when building AI products, and how ChatGPT is making chatbots better.Joaquin goes beyond providing insight into the space, encouraging listeners to think about the practical consequences of implementing AI, with Joaquin sharing the finer technical details of many of the solutions he’s helped build. Joaquin also shares many of the thought processes that have helped him move forward when building AI products, providing context on many practical applications of AI, both from his past and the bleeding edge of today. The discussion examines the complexities of artificial intelligence, from the perspective of someone that has been focused on this technology for more than most. Tune in for guidance on how to build AI into your own company's products.

[DataFramed AI Series #3] GPT and Generative AI for Data Teams
With the advances in AI products and the explosion of ChatGPT in recent months, it is becoming easier to imagine a world where AI and humans work seamlessly together—revolutionizing how we solve complex problems and transform our daily lives. This is especially the case for data professionals.In this episode of our AI series, we speak to Sarah Schlobohm, Head of AI at Kubrick Group. Dr. Schlobohm leads the training of the next generation of machine learning engineers. With a background in finance and consulting, Sarah has a deep understanding of the intersection between business strategy, data science, and AI. Prior to her work in finance, Sarah became a chartered accountant, where she honed her skills in financial analysis and strategy. Sarah worked for one of the world's largest banks, where she used data science to fight financial crime, making significant contributions to the industry's efforts to combat money laundering and other illicit activities. Sarah shares her extensive knowledge on incorporating AI within data teams for maximum impact, covering a wide array of AI-related topics, including upskilling, productivity, and communication, to help data professionals understand how to integrate generative AI effectively in their daily work.Throughout the episode, Sarah explores the challenges and risks of AI integration, touching on the balance between privacy and utility. She highlights the risks data teams can avoid when using AI products and how to approach using AI products the right way. She also covers how different roles within a data team might make use of generative AI, as well as how it might effect coding ability going forward.Sarah also shares use cases for those in non-data teams, such as marketing, while also highlighting what to consider when using outputs from GPT models. Sarah shares the impact chatbots might have on education calling attention to the power of AI tutors in schools.Sarah encourages people to start using AI now, considering the barrier to entry is so low, and how that might not be the case going forward. From automating mundane tasks to enabling human-AI collaboration that makes work more enjoyable, Sarah underscores the transformative power of AI in shaping the future of humanity.Whether you're an AI enthusiast, data professional, or someoone with an interest in either this episode will provide you with a deeper understanding of the practical aspects of AI implementation.

[DataFramed AI Series #2] How Organizations can Leverage ChatGPT
With the advent of any new technology that promises to make humans lives easier, replacing concious actions with automation, there is always backlash. People are often aware of the displacement of jobs, and often, it is viewed in a negative light. But how do we try to change the collective understanding to one of hope and excitement? What use cases can be shared that will change the opinion of those that are weary of AI? Noelle Silver Russell is the Global AI Solutions & Generative AI & LLM Industry Lead at Accenture, responsible for enterprise-scale industry playbooks for generative AI and LLMs. In this episode of our AI series, Noelle discusses how to prioritize ChatGPT use cases by focusing on the different aspects of value creation that GPT models can bring to individuals and organizations. She addresses common misconceptions surrounding ChatGPT and AI in general, emphasizing the importance of understanding their potential benefits and selecting use cases that maximize positive impact, foster innovation, and contribute to job creation.Noelle draws parallels between the fast-moving AI projects today and the launch of Amazon Alexa, which she worked on, and points out that many of the discussions being raised today were also talked about 10 years ago. She discusses how companies can now use AI to focus both on business efficiencies and customer experience, no longer having to settle for a trade-off between the two.Noelle explains the best way for companies to approach adding GPT tools into their processes, which focusses on taking a holistic view to implementation. She also recommends use-cases for companies that are just beginning to use AI, as well as the challenges they might face when deploying models into production, and how they can mitigate them. On the topic of the displacement of jobs, Noelle draws parallels from when Alexa was launched, and how it faced similar criticisms, digging into the fear that people have around new technology, which could be transformed into enthusiasm. Noelle suggests that there is a burden on leadership within organizations to create a culture where people are excited to use AI tools, rather than feeling threatened by them.

[DataFramed AI Series #1] ChatGPT and the OpenAI Developer Ecosystem
ChatGPT has leaped into the forefront of our lives—everyone from students to multinational organizations are seeing value in adding a chat interface to an LLM. But OpenAI has been concentrating on this for years, steadily developing one of the most viral digital products this century. In this episode of our AI series, we sit down with Logan Kilpatrick. Logan currently leads developer relations at OpenAI, supporting developers building with DALL-E, the OpenAI API, and ChatGPT. Logan takes us through OpenAI’s products, API, and models, and provides insights into the many use cases of ChatGPT. Logan provides fascinating information on ChatGPT’s plugins and how they can be used to build agents that help us in a variety of contexts. He also discusses the future integration of LLMs into our daily lives and how it will add structure to the unstructured nature and difficult-to-leverage data we generate and interact with on a daily basis. Logan also touches on the powerful image input features in GPT4, how it can help those with partial sight to improve their quality of life, and how it can be used for various other use cases.Throughout the episode, we unpack the need for collaboration and innovation, due to ChatGPT becoming more powerful when integrated with other pieces of software. Covering key discussion points with regard to AI tools currently, in particular, what could be built in-house by OpenAI and what could be built in the public domain. Logan also discusses the ecosystem forming around ChatGPT and how it will all become connected going forward. Finally, Logan shares tips for getting better responses from ChatGPT and the things to consider when integrating it into your organization’s product. This episode provides a deep dive into the world of GPT models from within the eye of the storm, providing valuable insights to those interested in AI and its practical applications in our daily lives.

Introducing the DataFramed AI Series
From May 8-11, discover expert insights from four industry leaders from OpenAI, Accenture, Kubrick Group, and Kanayma LLC on how to navigate the era of AI.

Ep 136#136 Scaling the Data Culture at Salesforce
Ten years ago, Salesforce was trying to generate $1Bn of revenue in a quarter. Today, they create over $30Bn of revenue in year. Simultaneously, over the last decade we have seen huge advances in the world of data and data science.In this episode, Laura Gent Felker, Director of Data Insights and Scalability at Salesforce, talks about her experience in building and leading data teams within the organization over the last ten years. Laura shares her insights on how to create a learning culture within a team, how to prioritize projects while accounting for long-term strategy, and the importance of setting aside time for innovation.Laura also discusses how to ensure that the projects the team works on genuinely provide business value. She suggests creating a two-way street with executive leadership and understanding the collective value across a variety of stakeholders also citing that some of the best innovation she has seen come from her team is when they have had to solve high-priority short-term business problems. In addition, Laura shares a multi-layered approach to building a learning community within a data team. She explains that a culture of collaboration and trust is important in the direct data team, and the wider community within organizations. Laura also talks about the frameworks and mental models that can help develop business acumen. She highlights the importance of dedicating time to this area and being able to communicate insights effectively.Throughout the episode, Laura's insights provide valuable guidance for both junior and experienced data professionals, consumers and leaders in creating a learning culture, prioritizing projects, and building a strong data community within organizations.

Ep 135#135 Building the Case for Data Literacy
Data literacy is becoming increasingly recognized as a valuable skill in today's workforce. We all interact with data on a daily basis, and organizations are now realizing the tremendous benefits of having a workforce that is well-versed in data, from interacting with dashboards to data analysis and data science. But, it all starts with data literacy. In this episode, we speak with Valerie Logan, CEO and Founder of The Data Lodge. Valerie is committed to data literacy, she believes that in today's digital society, data literacy is a life skill. With advisory services, bootcamps, a resource library and community services at The Data Lodge, Valerie is certifying the world’s first Data Literacy Program Leads and pioneering the path forward in cracking the data culture code. Valerie is also known for helping popularize the term "Data Literacy." In this episode, she shares insights on what a successful data literacy journey looks like, best practices for evangelizing data literacy programs, how to avoid siloed efforts between departments and much more.Valerie sheds light on the difficulties organizations face when trying to prioritize data literacy and data culture. She suggests that this is because humans are still at the center of organizations, and changing their behaviour is a challenge. She also talks about what data literacy means, and how the definition adapts to use cases. Valerie offers guidance on how to secure executive buy-in for data upskilling programs, explaining that finding a sponsor for the program is the first step. She also talks about the importance of extending buy-in to people who are less directly involved with data and upskilling, emphasizing how the program will help strategic objectives.Valerie also provides insights on the hallmarks of an effective pilot program for data literacy, suggesting that organizations go where there's already interest and that a good pilot is one where before and after effects can be measured. She also shares tips on how organizations can ensure that their data literacy program helps them achieve their strategic business goals.Throughout the episode, Valerie outlines the benefit and scope data literacy can have on an organization, with one of the most pertinent pieces of wisdom being a warning to organisations that risk ignoring upskilling and investing in data.Links mentioned in the show:RADAR 2023: Building an Enterprise Data Strategy that Puts People FirstThe Data LodgeThe State of Data Literacy in 2023What is Data Maturity and Why Does it Matter?

Ep 134#134 Building Great Machine Learning Products at Opendoor
Building machine learning systems with high predictive accuracy is inherently hard, and embedding these systems into great product experiences is doubly so. To build truly great machine learning products that reach millions of users, organizations need to marry great data science expertise, with strong attention to user experience, design thinking, and a deep consideration for the impacts of your prediction on users and stakeholders. So how do you do that?Today’s guest is Sam Stone, Director of Product Management, Pricing & Data at Opendoor, a real-estate technology company that leverages machine learning to streamline the home buying and selling process. Sam played an integral part in developing AI/ML products related to home pricing including the Opendoor Valuation Model (OVM), market liquidity forecasting, portfolio optimization, and resale decision tooling. Prior to Opendoor, he was a co-founder and product manager at Ansaro, a SaaS startup using data science and machine learning to help companies improve hiring decisions. Sam holds degrees in Math and International Relations from Stanford and an MBA from Harvard.Throughout the episode, we spoke about his principles for great ML product design, how to think about data collection for these types of products, how to package outputs from a model within a slick user interface, what interpretability means in the eyes of customers, how to be proactive about monitoring failure points, and much more.

Ep 133#133 Building a Safer Internet with Data Science
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. It plays a vital role in ensuring TV, radio and telecoms work as they should. With vast swathes of information from a wide range of sources, data plays a huge role in the way Ofcom operates - in this episode, we learn the key drivers of Ofcom’s data strategy. Richard Davis is the Chief Data Officer at Ofcom, responsible for enabling data and analytics capabilities across the organisation. Prior to Ofcom, Richard worked as a Quantitative Analyst as well as being the former Head of Analytics and Innovation at LLoyds Bank, proving he has a wealth of experience across a variety of data roles. After joining Ofcom in 2022, Richard describes his experience of joining Ofcom, his ambition to bring in new processes, and how he leverages the community of data professionals. Richard also shares his advice for a new data leader, which includes understanding the pain points of the team, making insights more efficient, and keeping data teams aligned with the business's needs. He also elaborates on the key components of the data strategy at Ofcom, including aligning to good data, good people, and good decisions.Also discussed is the importance of cultural change in an organization and how to upskill data experts and train non-data specialists in data literacy, the difference between technical experts and people managers, and how organizations can enable people to grow to become technical leaders.Finally, Richard emphasizes the importance of evidence-based regulation, and how data literacy supports effective output. Richard provides excellent insight into the world of regulatory data, the challenges faced by Ofcom, and the solutions they can implement to overcome them.

Ep 132#132 The Past, Present, and Future, of the Data Science Notebook
The concept of literate programming, or the idea of programming in a document, was first introduced in 1984 by Donald Knuth. And as of today, notebooks are now the defacto tool for doing data science work. So as the data tooling space continues to evolve at breakneck speed, what are the possible directions the data science notebook can take? In this episode of DataFramed, we talk with Dr. Jodie Burchell, Data Science Developer Advocate at JetBrains, to find out how data science notebooks evolved into what they are today, what her predictions are for the future of notebooks and data science, and how generative AI will impact data teams going forward. Jodie completed a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and a postdoc in biostatistics before transitioning into data science. She has since worked for 7 years as a data scientist, developing products ranging from recommendation systems to audience profiling. She is also a prolific content creator in the data science community.Throughout the episode, Jodie discusses the evolution of data science notebooks over the last few years, noting how the move to remote-based notebooks has allowed for the seamless development of more complex models straight from the notebook environment.Jodie and Adel’s conversation also covers tooling challenges that have led to modern IDEs and notebooks, with Jodie highlighting the importance of good database tooling and visibility. She shares how data science notebooks have evolved to help democratize data for the wider organization, the tradeoffs between engineering-led approaches to tooling compared to data science approaches, what generative AI means for the data profession, her predictions for data science, and more.Tune in to this episode to learn more about the evolution of data science notebooks and the challenges and opportunities facing the data science community today.Links to mentioned in the show:DataCamp Workspace: An-in Browser Notebook IDEJetBrains' DataloreNick Cave on ChatGPT song lyrics imitating his styleGitHub Copilot More on the topic:The Past, Present, And Future of The Data Science NotebookHow to Use Jupyter Notebooks: The Ultimate Guide

[Radar Recap] Unleashing the Power of Data Teams in 2023
In 2023, businesses are relying more heavily on data science and analytics teams than ever before. However, simply having a team of talented individuals is not enough to guarantee success. In the last of our RADAR 2023 sessions, Vijay Yadav and Vanessa Gonzalez will outline the keys to building high-impact data teams in 2023. They will discuss what are the hallmarks of a high-performing data team, the importance of diversity of background and skillset needed to build impactful data teams, setting up career pathways for data scientists, and more.Vijay Yadav is a highly respected data and analytics thought leader with over 20 years of experience in data product development, data engineering, and advanced analytics. As Director of Quantitative Sciences - Digital, Data, and Analytics at Merck, he leads data & analytics teams in creating AI/ML-driven data products to drive digital transformation. Vijay has held numerous leadership positions at various companies and is known for his ability to lead global teams to achieve high-impact results. Vanessa Gonzalez is the Sr. Director of Data Science and Innovation at Businessolver where she leads the Computational Linguistics, Machine Learning Engineering, Data Science, BI Analytics, and BI Engineering teams. She is experienced in leading data transformations, performing analytical and management functions that contribute to the goals and growth objectives of organizations and divisions. Listen in as Vanessa and Vijay share how to enable data teams to flourish in an ever-evolving data landscape.

[Radar Recap] Building an Enterprise Data Strategy that Puts People First
An effective data strategy is one that combines a variety of levers such as infrastructure, tools, organization, processes, and more. Arguably however, the most important aspect of a vibrant data strategy is culture and people.In the third of our four RADAR 2023 sessions, Cindi Howson and Valerie Logan discuss how data leaders can create a data strategy that puts their people at the center. Learn key insights into how to drive effective change management for data culture, how to drive adoption of data within the organization, common pitfalls when executing on a data strategy, and more. Cindi Howson is the Chief Data Strategy Officer at ThoughtSpot and host of The Data Chief podcast. Cindi is an analytics and BI thought leader and expert with a flair for bridging business needs with technology. As Chief Data Strategy Officer at ThoughtSpot, she advises top clients on data strategy and best practices to become data-driven, speaks internationally on top trends such as AI ethics, and influences ThoughtSpot’s product strategy. Valerie Logan is the Founder and CEO of The Data Lodge. Valerie is committed to data literacy, she believes that in today's digital society, data literacy is a life skill. With advisory services, bootcamps, a resource library and community services at The Data Lodge, Valerie is certifying the world’s first Data Literacy Program Leads and pioneering the path forward in cracking the data culture code. In 2018, she was awarded Gartner’s Top Thought Leadership Award for her leadership in the area of Data Literacy.Listen in as Cindi and Valerie share how to build a data strategy that puts people first in an enterprise organization.

[Radar Recap] Navigating the Future with Data Literacy: How Organizations Can Thrive in 2023 & Beyond
As organizations and the economy at large look to weather the challenges of 2023, data literacy is one of the keys to empowering organizations to navigate the decade's most significant challenges with confidence. In the second of our four RADAR 2023 sessions, Jordan Morrow shares how to navigate the future with data literacy, and how organizations can thrive as data becomes ever more prominent.Jordan is known as the "Godfather of Data Literacy", having helped pioneer the field by building one of the world's first data literacy programs and driving thought leadership on the subject. Jordan is Vice President and Head of Data And Analytics at BrainStorm, Inc., and a global trailblazer in the world of data literacy, building the world's first full scale data literacy program. He served as the Chair of the Advisory Board for The Data Literacy Project, has spoken at numerous conferences around the world and is an active voice in the data and analytics community. He has also helped companies and organizations around the world, including the United Nations, build and understand data literacy.Listen in as Jordan outlines how and why data literacy can help build individual and organizational resilience, how to scale data literacy within your organization, and more.

[Radar Recap] Value Creation with the Modern Data Stack
As organizations of all sizes continuously look to drive value out of data, the modern data stack has emerged as a clear solution for getting insights into the hands of the organization. With the rapid pace of innovation not slowing down, the tools within the modern data stack have enabled data teams to drive faster insights, collaborate at scale, and democratize data knowledge. However, are tools just enough to drive business value with data? In the first of our four RADAR 2023 sessions, we look at the key drivers of value within the modern data stack through the minds of Yali Sassoon and Barr Moses. Yali Sassoon is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Snowplow Analytics, a behavioral data platform that empowers data teams to solve complex data challenges. At Snowplow, Yali gets to combine his love of building things with his fascination of the ways in which people use data to reason.Barr Moses is CEO & Co-Founder of Monte Carlo. Previously, she was VP Customer Operations at customer success company Gainsight, where she helped scale the company 10x in revenue and, among other functions, built the data/analytics team. Listen in as Yali and Barr outline how data leaders can drive value creation with data in 2023.

#131 How the Aviation Industry Leverages Data Science
Data leaders play a critical role in driving innovation and growth in various industries, and this is particularly true in highly regulated industries such as aviation. In such industries, data leaders face unique challenges and opportunities, working to balance the need for innovation with strict regulatory requirements. This week’s guest is Derek Cedillo, who has 27 years of experience working in Data and Analytics at GE Aerospace. Derek currently works as a Senior Manager for GE Aerospace’s Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics division, having previously worked as the Senior Director for Data Science and Analytics.In the episode, Derek shares the key components to successfully managing a Data Science program within a large and highly regulated organization. He also shares his insights on how to standardize data science planning across various projects and how to get a Data Scientists to think and work in an agile manner. We hear about ideal data team structures, how to approach hiring, and what skills to look for in new hires. The conversation also touches on what responsibility Data Leaders have within organizations, championing data-driven decisions and strategy, as well as the complexity Data Leaders face in highly regulated industries. When it comes to solving problems that provide value for the business, engagement and transparency are key aspects. Derek shares how to ensure that expectations are met through clear and frank conversations with executives that try to align expectations between management and Data Science teams. Finally, you'll learn about validation frameworks, best practices for teams in less regulated industries, what trends to look out for in 2023 and how ChatGPT is changing how executives define their expectations from Data Science teams. Links to mentioned in the show:The Checklist Manifesto by Atul GawandeTeam of Teams by General Stanley McChrystalThe Harvard Data Science Review PodcastRelevant Links from DataCamp:Article: Storytelling for More Impactful Data ScienceCourse: Data Communication ConceptsCourse: Data-Driven Decision-Making for Business

#130 The Path to Becoming a Kaggle Grandmaster
Oftentimes, Kaggle competitions are looked at as an excellent way for data scientists to sharpen their machine learning skills and become technically excellent. This begs the question, what are the hallmarks of high-performing Kaggle competitors? What makes a Kaggle Grand Master?Today’s guest, Jean-Francois Puget PhD, distinguished engineer at NVIDIA, has achieved this impressive feat three times. Throughout the episode, Richie and Jean-Francois discuss his background and how he became a Kaggle Grandmaster. He shares his scientific approach to machine learning and how he uses this to consistently achieve high results in Kaggle competitions.Jean-Francois also discusses how NVIDIA employs nine Kaggle Grandmasters and how they use Kaggle experiments to breed innovation in solving their machine learning challenges. He expands on the toolkit he employs in solving Kaggle competitions, and how he has achieved 50X improvements in efficiencies using tools like RAPIDS. Richie and Jean-Francois also delve into the difference between competitive data science on Kaggle and machine learning work in a real-world setting. They deep dive into the challenges of real-world machine learning, and how to resolve the ambiguities of using machine learning in production that data scientists don’t encounter in Kaggle competitions.

#129 Increasing Diverse Representation in Data Science
Studies have shown that companies lacking in racial diversity also have a corresponding lack in their ability to innovate as a whole, which makes it important for any organization to prioritize an inclusive workplace culture and welcome more women and underrepresented groups in data.This is why Nikiska Alcindor's work is so vital to the future of the data science industry. Nikisha is the President and Founder of the STEM Educational Institute (SEI), a nonprofit corporation that equips underrepresented high school students with the technological skills needed to build generational wealth and be effective in the workforce. Nikisha is a strategic management leader with expertise in organizational change, investing, and fundraising. She is a recipient of the 2021 Dean Huss Teaching Award, a board member of the Upper Manhatten Empowerment Zone, and has taught a master class at Columbia Business School as well as several guest lectures at Columbia University.Throughout the episode, we discuss SEI’s three-pillar approach to education, the rising importance of STEM-based careers, why financial literacy is crucial to a student’s success, SEI’s partnership with DataCamp, contextualizing educational and upskilling programs to your organization’s specific population, how data leaders can positively communicate upskilling initiatives, and much more.

#128 Unlocking Scalable ROI for Data Teams
In order for any data team to move from reactive to proactive and drive revenue for the business, they must make sure the basics are in place and that the team and data culture is mature enough to allow for scalable return on investment. Without these elements, data teams find themselves unable to make meaningful progress because they are stuck reacting to problems and responding to rudimentary questions from stakeholders across the organization. This quickly takes up bandwidth and keeps them from achieving meaningful ROI.In today’s episode, we have invited Shane Murray to break down how to effectively structure a data team, how data leaders can lead efficient decentralization, and how teams can scale their ROI in 2023. Shane is the Field CTO at Monte Carlo, a data reliability company that created the industry's first end-to-end Data Observability platform. Shane’s career has taken him through a successful 9-year tenure at The New York Times, where he grew the data analytics team from 12 to 150 people and managed all core data products. Shane is an expert when it comes to data observability, enabling effective ROI for data initiatives, scaling high-impact data teams, and more.Throughout the episode we discuss how to structure a data team for maximum efficiency, how data leaders can balance long-term and short-term data initiatives, how data maturity correlates to a team’s forward-thinking ability, data democratization with data insights and reporting ROI, best practices for change management, and much more.

#127 How Data Scientists Can Thrive in Consulting
The most common application for data science is to solve problems within your own organization, and as professionals become more data literate, they rely less and less on others to solve their problems and unlock professional growth and career advancement.But in the world of consulting, data science is used to solve other people’s problems, which adds an additional layer of complexity since consultants aren’t always given all of the tools they need to do the job right.Enter Pratik Agrawal, a Partner at Kearney Analytics leading the automotive and industrial transportation sector. In this episode, we are taking a look at how data science is applied in the consulting industry and what skills are critical to be a successful data science consultant. As a software engineer and data scientist with over a decade of experience in the consulting world at companies like Boston Consulting Group and IRI, Pratik has a deep understanding of how to navigate the industry and how data science can be leveraged in it, as well as expertise in digital transformation projects and strategy.Throughout the episode, we discuss common problems that consultants encounter, the skills needed to be successful as a consultant, the different approaches to analytics in consulting versus in an organization, how to handle context switching when juggling multiple projects, what makes consulting feel exciting and challenging, and much more.

#126 Make Your A/B Testing More Effective and Efficient
One of the toughest parts of any data project is experimentation, not just because you need to choose the right testing method to confirm the project’s effectiveness, but because you also need to make sure you are testing the right hypothesis and measuring the right KPIs to ensure you receive accurate results.One of the most effective methods for data experimentation is A/B testing, and Anjali Mehra, Senior Director of Product Analytics, Data Science, Experimentation, and Instrumentation at DocuSign, is no stranger to how A/B testing can impact multiple parts of any organization. Throughout her career, she has also worked in marketing analytics and customer analytics at companies like Shutterfly, Wayfair, and Constant Contact.Throughout the episode, we discuss DocuSign’s analytics goals, how A/B testing works, how to gamify data experimentation, how A/B testing helps with new initiative validation, examples of A/B testing with data projects, how organizations can get started with data experimentation, and much more.

#125 Building Trust in Data with Data Governance
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to establishing a data culture is building trust in the data itself, making it vital for organizations to have a robust approach to data governance to ensure data quality is as high as possible.Enter Laurent Dresse, Data Governance Evangelist and Director of Professional Services at DataGalaxy. Throughout his career, Laurent has served as a bridge between IT and the rest of the business as an expert in data governance, quality, data management, and more. Throughout the episode, we discuss the state of data governance today, how data leaders and organizations can start their data governance journey, how to evangelize for data governance and gain buy-in across your organization, data governance tooling, and much more.

Special Announcement!
A special announcement from the DataFramed team. Join us for RADAR, a free two-day digital event curated to equip businesses and individuals with the insights to thrive in the era data, coming to you March 22-23, 2023! Register here to secure your spot!

#124 Using AI to Improve Data Quality in Healthcare
Data quality can make or break any data initiative or product. If you aren’t able to collect data that is accurate, or you have data sets that have varying structures, or are filled with typos and other issues caused by human error, then the chances drop drastically that your data models will be accurate, or even helpful.When it comes to healthcare, data quality can be an absolute nightmare. With so many different data sources, high data churn rates, and a lack of standardization in many different healthcare categories, it can seem impossible to make quality healthcare more easily accessible to people when they need it.Ribbon Health seeks to change that by using AI to improve the quality of healthcare data and create a data platform with actionable provider information including insurance coverage, prices, and performance.Today’s guests are Nate Fox, the CTO, Co-Founder, and President of Ribbon Health, and Sunna Jo, a former pediatrician who is now a data scientist at Ribbon Health.Throughout the episode, we talk about why data quality in healthcare is messy, why having context around data is necessary to interpret and utilize it properly, how healthcare providers are improving their services because of platforms like Ribbon Health, how to tackle common data cleaning problems, and much more

#123 Why We Need More Data Empathy
When working with data, it’s easy for us to think about it as a mechanistic process, where data comes in and products come out. But as we’ve explored throughout the show, succeeding in data, whether you’re a data leader looking to build a data culture, a data scientist ascending the ranks, or even a policy maker looking to have an impact with data, the human side is crucial.At the heart of the “human side” is empathy— whether it’s for your stakeholders if you’re a data scientist developing a dashboard for them, empathy for your workforce if you’re a data or learning leader, or empathy for the planet and your citizens if you’re a policy maker. So how can we all practice better empathy? Specifically, can we all practice better data empathy? Luckily, empathy is a muscle that can be built. It’s not a “you have it, or you don’t” type of skill. So how can individuals and organizations utilize data empathy to improve how they work with data and the success rate of their projects? Enter Phil Harvey, an Industrial Metaverse Architect in the Industrial Metaverse Core group at Microsoft. He is an expert in Data & AI Technical and Business Strategy & Philosophy. Harvey is also co-author of the book Data: A Guide to Humans, which explores the concept of Data Empathy, and how it can power better use of data through better communication and understanding of stakeholders in the value chain of data.

#122 How Organizations Can Bridge the Data Literacy Gap
Something we talk about alot on DataFramed is the importance of data literacy and data skills — and how they help both individuals and organizations succeed with data. Oftentimes, when organizations engage in upskilling programs on data literacy, one of the common pushbacks people have is, “I am not a numbers person”. So how do you move past that? How can leaders help their people bridge the data literacy gap, and in turn create a data culture?That’s where Dr. Selena Fisk comes in. Fisk is a data storyteller, coach, and thought leader in the data industry. She works in both the corporate sector and in education to develop data-led strategies that can help organizations grow. Fisk mainly specializes in the areas of data literacy, data visualization, and data storytelling, and is the author of three books, “Using and Analysing Data in Australian Schools,” “Leading Data-Informed Change in Schools,” and “I’m Not a Numbers Person: How to Make Good Decisions in a Data-Rich World.”Throughout our conversation, we discuss the difference between being data-informed and data-driven, the different levels of data literacy, why change management is crucial to the success of any data literacy program, how to democratize data skills, how to approach data upskilling as a leader, and much more.

#121 ChatGPT and How Generative AI is Augmenting Workflows
Throughout 2022, there was an explosion in generative AI for images and text. GPT-3, DALLE-2, pointed us towards an AI-driven future. Recently, ChatGPT has taken the (data) world by storm — prompting many questions over how generative AI can be used in day to day activities. With the incredible amount of hype surrounding these new tools, we wanted to have a discussion grounded in how these tools are being operationalized today.Enter Scott Downes. Scott is the CTO of Invisible Technologies, a process automation platform that uses GPT-3 and other generative text technologies. Scott joins the show to talk about how organizations and data professionals can maximize the potential of these tools and how AI and humans can work together in a complementary fashion to optimize workflows, reduce time-intensive, tedious tasks, and do higher quality work. Scott has a decade of experience in technology, product engineering, and technical leadership, making a veteran in training and mentoring employees across the organization, whether their roles are more creative or more technical.Throughout the conversation, we talk about what Invisible Technologies uses GPT-3 to optimize workflows, a brief overview of GPT-3 and its use cases for working with text, how GPT-3 helps companies scale their operations, the promises of tools ChatGPT, how AI analysis and human review can work together to save lives, and much more.

#120 Data Trends & Predictions for 2023
In 2022, we saw significant developments in the field of data. From the emergence of generative AI to the growth of low-code data tools and AI assistants—these advancements signal an upcoming paradigm shift, where data-powered tools and machine learning systems will radically transform workflows across various professions.2022 also saw digital transformation remain a major theme for organizations across industries as they sought to embrace new ways of working, reaching customers, and providing value. As 2023’s looming economic uncertainty puts pressure on organizations to maximize ROI from their investments, digital and data transformation will continue to be one of the key levers by which organizations can cut costs and scale value for their stakeholders.So we’ve invited DataCamp’s co-founders, CEO Jonathan Cornelissen and COO Martijn Theuwissen to break down the top data trends they are seeing in the data space today, as well as their predictions for the future of the data industry.Jonathan Cornelissen is the CEO and co-founder of DataCamp. As the CEO of DataCamp, he helped grow DataCamp to upskill over 10M+ learners and 2800+ teams and enterprise clients. He is interested in everything related to data science, education and entrepreneurship. He holds a PhD in financial econometrics, and was the original author of an R package for quantitative finance.Martijn Theuwissen is the COO and co-founder of DataCamp. As the COO of DataCamp, he helps DataCamp’s enterprise clients on their data and digital transformation strategies, enabling them to make the most of DataCamp for Business’s offering, and helping them transform how their workforce uses data.

#119 Data-Driven Thinking for the Everyday Life
Just as data is used to help businesses determine new directions, set new goals, and measure progress, data can be used in everyday life to help people do the same as they seek to improve themselves.As the new year arrives, many people are thinking about new goals and new ways to improve their lives, so we have invited Gary Wolf to the show to explore how you can use data-driven thinking to drive meaningful changes in yourself.Gary Wolf is the Co-Founder of The Quantified Self, an international community of makers and users of self-tracking tools. Prior to co-founding The Quantified Self, Wolf was a contributing editor for Wired Magazine, where he spent two decades covering the intersection of technology and culture, and his cover story in the New York Times is what introduced the general public to self-tracking as an emerging trend.In this episode, we talk about what The Quantified Self is, why self-tracking projects can be life-changing, how to get started with self-tracking, how to connect with others in the self-tracking community, and much more.

#118 How Power BI Empowers Collaboration
In programming, collaboration and experimentation can be very stressful, since sharing code and making it visible to others can be tedious, time-consuming, and nerve-wracking.Tools like Power BI are changing that entirely, by opening up new ways to collaborate between team members, add layers of customized and complex security to the data teams are working with, and making data much more accessible across organizations. Ginger Grant joins the show to talk about how organizations can utilize Power BI, Dax, and M to their fullest potential and create new opportunities for experimentation, innovation, and collaboration. Ginger is the Principal Consultant at the Desert Isle Group, working as an expert in advanced analytic solutions, including machine learning, data warehousing, ETL, reporting and cube development, Power BI, Excel Automation, Data Visualization and training. In addition to her consultant work, she is also a blogger at and global keynote speaker on developments and trends in data. Microsoft has also recognized her technical contributions by awarding her a MVP in Data Platform. In this episode, we talk about what Power BI is, the common mistakes organizations make when implementing Power BI, advanced use cases, and much more.

#117 Successful Data & Analytics in the Insurance Industry
The insurance industry thrives on data from utilizing data and analytics to determine policy rates for customers to working with relevant partners in the industry to improve their products and services, data is embedded in everything that insurance companies do. But insurance companies also have a number of hurdles to overcome, whether it’s transitioning legacy data into new processes and technology, balancing new projects and models with ever-changing regulatory standards, and balancing the ethical considerations of how to best utilize data without resulting in unintended consequences for the end user. That’s why we’ve brought Rob Reynolds onto the show. Rob is the VP and Chief Data & Analytics Officer at W. R. Berkley, a multinational insurance holding company specializing in property and casualty insurance. Rob brings over two decades of experience in Data Science, IT, and technology leadership, with a particular expertise in building departments and establishing highly functioning teams, especially in highly dynamic environments. In this episode, we talk in-depth about how insurance companies utilize data, the most important skills for anyone looking for data science jobs in the insurance industry, why the need for thoughtful criticism is growing in data science, and how an expertise in communication will put you ahead of the pack.

#116 Value Creation Within the Modern Data Stack
With the increasing rate at which new data tools and platforms are being created, the modern data stack risks becoming just another buzzword data leaders use when talking about how they solve problems. Alongside the arrival of new data tools is the need for leaders to see beyond just the modern data stack and think deeply about how their data work can align with business outcomes, otherwise, they risk falling behind trying to create value from innovative, but irrelevant technology. In this episode, Yali Sassoon joins the show to explore what the modern data stack really means, how to rethink the modern data stack in terms of value creation, data collection versus data creation, and the right way businesses should approach data ingestion, and much more. Yali is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Snowplow Analytics, a behavioral data platform that empowers data teams to solve complex data challenges. Yali is an expert in data with a background in both strategy and operations consulting teaching companies how to use data properly to evolve their operations and improve their results.

#115 Inside the Generative AI Revolution
2022 was an incredible year for Generative AI. From text generation models like GPT-3 to the rising popularity of AI image generation tools, generative AI has rapidly evolved over the last few years in both its popularity and its use cases. Martin Musiol joins the show this week to explore the business use cases of generative AI, and how it will continue to impact the way the society interacts with data. Martin is a Data Science Manager at IBM, as well as Co-Founder and an instructor at Generative AI, teaching people to develop their own AI that generates images, videos, music, text and other data. Martin has also been a keynote speaker at various events, such as Codemotion Milan. Having discovered his passion for AI in 2012, Martin has turned that passion into his expertise, becoming a thought leader in AI and machine learning space. In this episode, we talk about the state of generative AI today, privacy and intellectual property concerns, the strongest use cases for generative AI, what the future holds, and much more.

#114 How Chelsea FC Uses Analytics to Drive Matchday Success
Data Analytics has played a major role in Chelsea’s journey to becoming the seventh most valuable football club in the world, Chelsea has won six league titles, eight FA Cups, five League Cups, and two Champions League titles. Today, we are going behind the scenes at Chelsea FC to see how they use data analytics to analyze matches, inform tactical decision-making, and drive matchday success in one of the world’s top football leagues, just in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar! Federico Bettuzzi is a Data Scientist at Chelsea FC. As a specialist in match analytics, Federico works with Chelsea’s first team to inform tactical decision making during matches. Federico joins the show to break down how he gathers and synthesizes data, how they develop match analyses for tactical reviews, how managers prioritize data analytics differently, how to balance long-term and short-term projects, and much more.

#113 Successful Frameworks for Scaling Data Maturity
To become a data-driven organization, it takes a major shift in mindset and culture, investments in technology and infrastructure, skills transformation, and clearly evangelizing the usefulness of using data to drive better decision-making. With all of these levers to scale, many organizations get stuck early in their data transformation journey, not knowing what to prioritize and how. In this episode, Ganes Kesari joins the show to share the frameworks and processes that organizations can follow to become data-driven, measure their data maturity, and win stakeholder support across the organization. Ganes is Co-Founder and Chief Decision Scientist at Gramener, which helps companies make data-driven decisions through powerful data stories and analytics. He is an expert in data, analytics, organizational strategy, and hands-on execution. Throughout his 20-year career, Ganes has become an internationally-renowned speaker and has been published in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and has become a thought leader in Data Science. Throughout the episode, we talk about how organizations can scale their data maturity, how to build an effective data science roadmap, how to successfully navigate the skills and people components of data maturity, and much more.

#112 Data Journalism in the Age of COVID-19
During Data Literacy Month, we shared how data journalists curate and distill data stories to the wider public. Since 2020, Data Journalism has risen both in significance and visibility. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, data journalists have been instrumental in keeping the public informed by investigating, challenging, interpreting, and explaining complex datasets. In this episode, Betsy Ladyzhets joins the show to talk about the state of Data Journalism today, and shares from her experience as a data journalist Betsy is an independent science, health, and data journalist focused on COVID-19 and Founder of the COVID-19 Data Dispatch, an independent publication providing updates and resources on public COVID-19 data. She is also currently working as a Senior Journalism Fellow with the Documenting COVID-19 project at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation and MuckRock. Her work has been featured in Science News, FiveThirtyEight, MIT Tech Review, and the Covid Tracking Project. Throughout the show, we discuss the importance of letting data shape a narrative, what characteristics of traditional journalism are needed for data journalists, the best practices for delivering effective data stories, how the rise of AI and data visualization are impacting data journalism, and much more. Links shared during the episode: Data Sonification The COVID-19 Data Dispatch The Data Visualization Society Learning on DataCamp? Take part in this week’s XP-challenge: http://www.datacamp.com/promo/free-week-xp-challenge-2022

#111 The Rise of the Julia Programming Language
Python has dominated data science programming for the last few years, but there’s another rising star programming language seeing increased adoption and popularity—Julia. As the fourth most popular programming language, many data teams and practitioners are turning their attention toward understanding Julia and seeing how it could benefit individual careers, business operations, and drive increased value across organizations. Zacharias Voulgaris, PhD joins the show to talk about his experience with the Julia programming language and his perspective on the future of Julia’s widespread adoption. Zacharias is the author of Julia for Data Science. As a Data Science consultant and mentor with 10 years of international experience that includes the role of Chief Science Officer at three startups, Zacharias is an expert in data science, analytics, artificial intelligence, and information systems. In this episode, we discuss the strengths of Julia, how data scientists can get started using Julia, how team members and leaders alike can transition to Julia, why companies are secretive about adopting Julia, the interoperability of Julia with Python and other popular programming languages, and much more. Check out this month’s events: https://www.datacamp.com/data-driven-organizations-2022 Take the Introduction to Julia course for free! https://www.datacamp.com/courses/introduction-to-julia

#110 Behind the Scenes of Transamerica’s Data Transformation
While securing the support of senior executives is a major hurdle of implementing a data transformation program, it’s often one of the earliest and easiest hurdles to overcome in comparison to the overall program itself. Leading a data transformation program requires thorough planning, organization-wide collaboration, careful execution, robust testing, and so much more. Vanessa Gonzalez is the Senior Director of Data and Analytics for ML & AI at Transamerica. Vanessa has experience in data transformation, leadership, and strategic direction for Data Science and Data Governance teams, and is an experienced senior data manager. Vanessa joins the show to share how she is helping to lead Transamerica’s Data Transformation program. In this episode, we discuss the biggest challenges Transamerica has faced throughout the process, the most important factors to making any large-scale transformation successful, how to collaborate with other departments, how Vanessa structures her team, the key skills data scientists need to be successful, and much more. Check out this month’s events: https://www.datacamp.com/data-driven-organizations-2022

#109 How Data Leaders Can Build an Effective Talent Strategy
As data leaders continue to fill their talent gap, how should they approach sourcing, retaining, and upskilling their talent? What strategies should data leaders adopt in order to accomplish their talent goals and become data-driven? Kyle Winterbottom joins the show to talk about the key differentiators between data teams that build talent-dense teams and those that do not. Kyle is the host of Driven by Data: The Podcast, the Founder & CEO of Orbition, a talent solutions provider, for scaling Data, Analytics, & Artificial Intelligence teams across the UK, Europe and the USA. As an accomplished expert and thought leader in talent acquisition, attraction, and retention, as well as scaling data teams, Kyle was named one of Data IQ’s 100 Most Influential People in Data for 2022. In this episode, we talk about how data teams can position themselves to attract top talent, how to properly articulate how data team members are adding value to the business, how organizations can accidentally set data leaders up to fail, how to approach upskilling, and how data leaders can create an employer branding narrative to attract top talent. Check out this month’s events: https://www.datacamp.com/data-driven-organizations-2022

#108 The Hallmarks of Successful Data Training Programs
To improve Data Literacy, organizations need high-quality data training programs that give their employees the most valuable and relevant data skills they need. Many companies fall into the trap of implementing training programs that are poorly designed or not relevant for the needs of their learners.Sharon Castillo is the VP of Global Education at DataRobot, where she developed the DataRobot University, a self-service education portal that features both free and paid courses on AI and machine learning that are available to the public. With over 30 years of experience, Sharon is a leading expert in data training and employee upskilling programs, from development through execution.Sharon joins the show to talk about what makes an effective data training program, how to ensure employees retain the information, how to properly incentivize training participation, why organizations should prioritize training, and much more. This is essential listening for anyone developing a training program for their team or organization.

#107 The Deep Learning Revolution in Space Science
We have had many guests on the show to discuss how different industries leverage data science to transform the way they do business, but arguably one of the most important applications of data science is in space research and technology. Justin Fletcher joins the show to talk about how the US Space Force is using deep learning with telescope data to monitor satellites, potentially lethal space debris, and identify and prevent catastrophic collisions. Justin is responsible for artificial intelligence and autonomy technology development within the Space Domain Awareness Delta of the United States Space Force Space Systems Command. With over a decade of experience spanning space domain awareness, high performance computing, and air combat effectiveness, Justin is a recognized leader in defense applications of artificial intelligence and autonomy. In this episode, we talk about how the US Space Force utilizes deep learning, how the US Space Force publishes its research and data to find high-quality peer review, the must-have skills aspiring practitioners need in order to pursue a career in Defense, and much more.

#106 How CBRE is Increasing Data Literacy for Over 3,000 Employees
Throughout data literacy month, we’ve shined a light on the importance of data literacy skills and how it impacts individuals and organizations. Equally as important is how to actually approach transformational data literacy programs and ensure they are successful. In this final episode of Data Literacy Month, we are unpacking how CBRE is upskilling over 3,000 of its employees on data literacy skills through a relevant, high-value learning program. Emily Hayward is the Data and Digital Change Manager at CBRE, a global leader in commercial real estate services and investment. Emily is a transformational leader with a track record of leading successful high-profile technology, data, and cultural transformations across both the public and private sectors through an ardent belief that change cannot be achieved without first winning people over. Throughout the episode, we talk about Emily’s approach to building CBRE’s learning program, effective change management, why it’s critical to secure executive sponsorship, and much more. Looking to build a data literacy program of your own? Check out DataCamp for Business: https://bit.ly/3r7BgsF

#105 What Data Visualization Means for Data Literacy
Understanding and interpreting data visualizations are one of the most important aspects of data literacy. When done well, data visualization ensures that stakeholders can quickly take away critical insights from data. Moreover, data visualization is often the best place to start when increasing organizational data literacy, as it’s often titled the “gateway drug” to more advanced data skills.Andy Cotgreave, Senior Data Evangelist at Tableau Software and co-author of The Big Book of Dashboards, joins the show to break down data visualization and storytelling, drawing from his 15-year career in the data space. Andy has spoken for events like SXSW, Visualized, and Tableau’s conferences and has inspired thousands of people to develop their data skills.In this episode, we discuss why data visualization skills are so essential, how data visualization increases organizational data literacy, the best practices for visual storytelling, and much more.This episode of DataFramed is a part of DataCamp’s Data Literacy Month, where we raise awareness about Data Literacy throughout September through webinars, workshops, and resources featuring thought leaders and subject matter experts that can help you build your data literacy, as well as your organization’s. For more information, visit: https://www.datacamp.com/data-literacy-month/for-teams

#104 How the Data Community Can Accelerate Your Data Career
Data Literacy may be an important skill for everyone to have, but the level of need is always unique to each individual. Some may need advanced technical skills in machine learning algorithms, while others may just need to be able to understand the basics. Regardless of where anyone sits on the skills spectrum, the data community can help accelerate their careers. There’s no one who knows that better than Kate Strachnyi. Kate is the Founder and Community Manager at DATAcated, a company that is focused on bringing data professionals together and helping data companies reach their target audience through effective content strategies. Kate has created courses on data storytelling, dashboard and visualization best practices, and she is also the author of several books on data science, including a children’s book about data literacy. Through her professional accomplishments and her content efforts online, Kate has not only built a massive online following, she has also established herself as a leader in the data space. In this episode, we talk about best practices in data visualization, the importance of technical skills and soft skills for data professionals, how to build a personal brand and overcome Imposter Syndrome, how data literacy can make or break organizations, and much more. This episode of DataFramed is a part of DataCamp’s Data Literacy Month, where we raise awareness for Data Literacy throughout the month of September through webinars, workshops, and resources featuring thought leaders and subject matter experts that can help you build your data literacy, as well as your organization’s. For more information, visit: https://www.datacamp.com/data-literacy-month/for-teams

#103 How Data Literacy Skills Help You Succeed
Data Literacy is increasingly becoming a skill that every role needs to have, regardless of whether their role a data-oriented or not. No one knows this better than Jordan Morrow, who is known as the Godfather of Data Literacy. Jordan is the VP and Head of Data Analytics at Brainstorm, Inc., and is the author of Be Data Literate: The Skills Everyone Needs to Succeed.Jordan has been a fierce advocate for data literacy throughout his career, including helping the United Nations understand and utilize data literacy effectively. Throughout the episode, we define data literacy, why organizations need data literacy in order to use data properly and drive business impact, how to increase organizational data literacy, and more. This episode of DataFramed is a part of DataCamp’s Data Literacy Month, where we raise awareness for Data Literacy throughout the month of September through webinars, workshops, and resources featuring thought leaders and subject matter experts that can help you build your data literacy, as well as your organization’s. For more information, visit: https://www.datacamp.com/data-literacy-month/for-teams

Announcing Data Literacy Month
Taking inspiration from International Literacy Day on September 8, DataCamp is dedicating the whole month of September to raising awareness about Data Literacy. Throughout the month, we are featuring thought leaders and subject matter experts in order to get you Data Literacy, and we can’t wait for you to hear the exceptional guests we have lined up for you right here on DataFramed. Check out the full lineup of events.

#102 How an Always-Learning Culture Drives Innovation at Shopify
Many times, data scientists can fall into the trap of resume-driven development. As in, learning the shiniest, most advanced technique available to them in an attempt to solve a business problem. However, this is not what a learning mindset should look like for data teams. As it turns out, taking a step back and focusing on the fundamentals and step-by-step iteration can be the key to growing as a data scientist, because when data teams develop a strong understanding of the problems and solutions lying underneath the surface, they will be able to wield their tools with complete mastery. Ella Hilal joins the show to share why operating from an always-learning mindset will open up the path to a true mastery and innovation for data teams. Ella is the VP of Data Science and Engineering for Commercial and Service Lines at Shopify, a global commerce leader that helps businesses of all size grow, market, and manage their retail operations. Recognized as a leading woman in Data science, Internet of things and Machine Learning, Ella has over 15 years of experience spanning multiple countries, and is an advocate for responsible innovation, women in tech, and STEM. In this episode, we talk about the biggest mistakes data scientists make when solving business problems, how to create cohesion between data teams and the broader organization, how to be an effective data leader that prioritizes their team’s growth, and how developing an always-learning mindset based on iteration, experimentation, and deep understanding of the problems needing to be solved can accelerate the growth of data teams.